Recipes as Inspiration (Tomato & Thai Basil Relish)

I recently found myself needing something quick for dinner, so I turned to my beloved cookbook, Vegetarian Suppers. I found a recipe for Skillet Seared Tofu with Tomato and Thai Basil relish. I had tofu in my fridge, gorgeous tomatoes from the farmers market, and thai basil in my garden. Sounded perfect. Then I looked at the rest of the ingredients and I only had about half of them. I took the ingredient list as mere suggestion and got started anyway. The result was pure heaven.

Here's the list of ingredients in the recipe and then what I used instead:

2 medium tomatoes - I had this. Great!

1 small shallot or a few scallions - I used 1/2 sweet onion from my fridge

small handful Thai Basil - I had this. I threw in the amount that looked right.

dozen small mint leaves - I had this in my garden

1 t. roasted peanut or sesame oil - I used garlic-infused olive oil

juice and zest of 1 lime - I had this.

2 t. freshly grated ginger - all I had were dehydrated ginger bits. I rehydrated them in some boiling water and chopped them up. I also chopped up a dried red chile and put it in the boiling water to rehydrate as well.

1 garlic clove - I was out of garlic, so I used a little garlic powder

sea salt - yes

small splash of soy sauce - I only had Hoisin Sauce, a sweet, thick Asian sauce. I used it anyway.

I put everything in a bowl and mixed it up. The soy sauce is really intended for deglazing the pan while you cook the tofu, but I put it in the bowl with everything else. When it came time to deglaze the tofu, I just used some of the juice from the bowl (super yummy).

Here's the basic method

Slice 1 carton of tofu into 6-8 pieces and blot it with a paper towel. I cut it in half long way to make thinner slabs, and then cut the 2 slabs into triangles.

Heat some oil in a skillet and add the tofu. Sprinkle with salt. When it stops twitching around, check to see if it is browned on the cooking side. If it isn't, leave it a little longer. Turn and cook the other side, about 10 minutes in all. Shake on some liquid (like soy sauce or the juices from your bowl of tomatoes and other goodies) and continue cooking until it evaporates and the tofu is seasoned and glazed. I sometimes turn the tofu during this process and sometimes don't. I just try to get the tofu coated with the sauce.

Remove from heat, top with tomato salsa mixture and serve. I served this on a bed of arugula, which was fabulous.

Mushroom and Tofu Saute with Rice Noodles

I made this for my family on Thanksgiving weekend. The asian flavors were a welcome break from the usual Thanksgiving fare that everyone had the day before. I loved it and everyone else seemed to enjoy it, too. This would make an excellent weeknight meal. I used very skinny rice noodles because that was all I could find. I think it would be better with wider rice noodles, or maybe even soba or udon noodles. This was fairly simple to prepare and it only took about half an hour.

Let's get started

• Cook the rice noodles in boiling, salted water according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, and set aside.
• Cut one block of firm tofu into bite sized cubes. Simmer in boiling water for 2 minutes. Lift cubes out of the water and set them in a colander to drain.
• In a small bowl, combine 2 t. tamari or mushroom soy sauce, 3 T. naturally brewed soy sauce, and 2 T. brown sugar.
• Chop together 2 cloves garlic, 3 T. fresh tarragon, 1/2 t. salt, and freshly ground pepper. (I know 3 T. sounds like a lot of tarragon, but it blends beautifully into the dish. Don't be shy about using the full 3 T. of tarragon. This is almost a full bunch if you buy it at the supermarket.)
• Clean and trim 1 pound mushrooms, including some shiitakes, if possible. Cut into quarters or thick slices.
• Finely dice one large shallot (about 1/2 cup total)
• Heat a little peanut oil (or vegetable oil) in a skillet. Add the garlic mixture and stir fry for 20 seconds or so, then add the mushrooms and shallot. Saute over high heat until the juices have been released and then reabsorbed and the mushrooms have started to brown, (7 - 10 minutes).
• While that is cooking, finely slice 4 green onions and set aside.
• Add the tofu, followed by the soy mixture and the cooked noodles.
• Mix gently, taste for salt, transfer to a platter and serve garnished with green onions.

Things I'd do differently next time: Use wider rice noodles, or experiment with other types of noodles. This would also be good over rice.

Cost to prepare

3/4 pound mushrooms (white and cremini mix) - $3.75

1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms - $2.50

3 T. chopped tarragon - $1.50

3 T. chopped garlic (2-3 cloves) - $.30

1 carton firm tofu - $1.50

soy sauces - $1.00 (?)

1 large shallot - $.75

4 scallions - $.25

6 ounces dried rice noodles - $1.00

TOTAL - $12.55 for 4 people

Suggested wine - a spicy, dry Gewurztraminer

Brown Rice Supper with stir fried carrots and roasted peanut sauce

Have you ever been to a vegetarian restaurant of the 70s, hippy variety where all the food tastes bland and the texture is a little like cardboard? Where everything is whole wheat, no salt, no fat, and healthy in a way that makes you never want to eat healthy food again?

I was worried that this dish would be like that, but it is bright and popping with flavor. I didn't think I liked cooked carrots, but these are sweet and tender without being mushy. The peanut sauce is so fabulous, I couldn't stop sneaking little spoonfuls of it after the meal was over. The peanut sauce isn't the kind you find on satay in thai restaurants. It is made with lots of cilantro, mint, and lime which makes it very green and fresh. This dish is filling, comforting, and amazingly delicious. I'm really looking forward to making it again. If you don't like tofu, or you're craving some other type of protein, you could easily make it with chicken.

Here's how:

Rinse 1 1/2 cups brown basmati rice and put it in a pot with 3 3/4 cups water and 1/2 t. salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook until done, about 40 minutes.

Then make the peanut sauce. Toast 1/2 cup raw peanuts in 1 T. peanut oil in a skillet on the stove. Put the peanuts and the oil in a food processor, along with 1/2 c. chopped cilantro (I used about 1/2 a bunch with the stems cut off and let the food processor do the chopping for me), 1 T. chopped mint leaves (about 6 big leaves), the zest and juice of 2 limes, 2 garlic cloves, 1/4 t. chipotle powder or 1 serrano chile (I used the chipotle powder), 1 t. soy sauce, and salt to taste. Thin with water until you have the desired consistency.

Peel and cut 5 large carrots into mouthsized chunks. Peel and slice a 1-inch knob of ginger into thin strips. Heat 2 t. peanut oil in a skillet. When hot, add the ginger, then the carrots. Stir fry for several minutes and then add a few teaspoons soy sauce and stir fry for another minute. Pour in 1/2 cup water, cover the pan, and cook until the carrots are tender (5 minutes or more). While they're cooking, cut 4 scallions on the diagonal, including some of the greens. Remove the lid and add the scallions, cooking until the liquid is reduced to a glaze. Taste a carrot and season with salt, if desired.

Cut 1 carton of tofu into triangles or rectangles. Fry in a little peanut oil with a little salt until all the water cooks out and the tofu starts to color nicely. Cook on both sides. Add a little soy sauce to the pan to glaze the tofu.

Serve the rice, the carrots and the tofu, layered and arranged on plates. Dollop peanut sauce in several places and garnish with a little cilantro. Pass the remaining sauce at the table.

Approximate cost to prepare:

1 1/2 cups rice - $.75

5 large carrots - $.60

1-inch knob of ginger - $.25

soy sauce, peanut oil - negligible

4 scallions - $.25

1 carton tofu - $1.25

1/2 cup peanuts - $.50 (maybe less)

1/2 bunch cilantro - $.25

mint from my garden

2 limes - $.60

garlic and chipotle powder - negligible

TOTAL for 4 people = $4.45